Question: Find the distance between the points (9, 7) and (5, -3). ${1}$ ${2}$ ${3}$ ${4}$ ${5}$ ${6}$ ${7}$ ${8}$ ${9}$ ${10}$ ${\llap{-}2}$ ${\llap{-}3}$ ${\llap{-}4}$ ${\llap{-}5}$ ${\llap{-}6}$ ${\llap{-}7}$ ${\llap{-}8}$ ${\llap{-}9}$ ${\llap{-}10}$ ${1}$ ${2}$ ${3}$ ${4}$ ${5}$ ${6}$ ${7}$ ${8}$ ${9}$ ${10}$ ${\llap{-}2}$ ${\llap{-}3}$ ${\llap{-}4}$ ${\llap{-}5}$ ${\llap{-}6}$ ${\llap{-}7}$ ${\llap{-}8}$ ${\llap{-}9}$ ${\llap{-}10}$ $(9, 7)$ $(5, -3)$ $4$ $10$
Answer: Change in $x$ Change in $y$ (-3) 10 The distance is the length of the hypotenuse of this right triangle. By the Pythagorean Theorem, that length is equal to: $\sqrt{4^2 + 10^2}$ $= \sqrt{116}$ $= 2\sqrt{29}$